Social Butterfly

June 30, 2007

Melissa and I -- well, Melissa especially -- have focused a lot of energy in helping Katie become socialized with other children. Melissa's efforts have included bi-weekly MOPS outings, weekly playgroup outings, sporadic neighborhood gatherings, and weekly Sunday school attendance. Despite our best efforts, Katie just hadn't seemed particularly interested in playing with other children.

Until about three weeks ago.

Something in her developing brain turned on three weeks ago, and we now find that we're raising a social butterfly. If there's a child to play with, she's game.

Yesterday, I mentioned to Katie that 5-year-old Ben was outside. She couldn't get her pink crocs on fast enough to get outside to see him. By the time she got her shoes on and shot outside, Ben had already went inside his house. But his older sister stepped outside. Katie really likes Sydney and struck up a conversation about Sydney's cats. I returned to my landscaping chore, which I was performing a few feet away but out of immediate view.

Moments later, Katie rounded the corner and said something like "She wants to know if I can have a Chilly Willy!" "Sure," I said. Delighted, she ran back and I could hear her shout "He said I could!"

Following their Chilly Willies, the two of them and neighbor Rachel went inside Sydney's house to play with Petshop animals. This was significant because it was Katie's first solo play outing in another child's home. Melissa checked on her every 20 minutes or so, but Sydney's mother assured Melissa that Katie was on her best behavior. Melissa asked to see Katie playing, and went upstairs to see the three girls. Rachel commented that Katie used the word "concentration," which impressed the two older girls.

Katie asked Melissa to leave. Just four weeks ago, Melissa would have had to force Katie outside to even say "hi" to those same girls.